As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.

I read the post on your previous thread about your great grandmother. It brought to mind a similar occurrence in my family.
My maternal grandmother died of the Spanish flu in 1918 in the U.S. My mother was 10 months old. Her father was an illiterate farmer with 3 sons and a daughter. I'm not aware of the timing, but my mother ended up in an orphanage to be brought up by the nuns.
I know this is not the same because your ancestor's experience occurred in Italy. What I don't know is whether there was some Italian tradition attached to such a death of the mother, or whether this was a decision of necessity. It appears that the nuns customarily ran the orphanages (I know Carmine or Peter will correct me if I am wrong). I'm not aware of any Italian law that necessitated putting a baby girl in an orphanage.
I suspect this subject matter will produce a very interesting thread.

My GGF (her husband) was abandoned at birth and raised by someone else which brought up the subject of nursing. I probably wouldn't have thought about it otherwise. It's not like now where there is formula - someone had to be around to nurse the baby.

I'm curious about the orphanages and the nuns. Since it happened here (for my mother) and abroad (for your ancestor), I wonder if there is any connection for raising baby girls without a mother. Was this a culture thing or simply a necessity? I'm sure someone knows.

I would guess it was necessity. Even as far back as roman times when children were abandoned, they hired woman to nurse the children. Even if they didnt adopt them or take them as their own, they at least made sure they were nursed. Supposedly it was like a job. Woman who were capable of breast feeding would show up , nurse the child then go back home for extra money. At least thats what Ive read in some history books.

Also, if I am not mistaken, sometimes the child would be put in the care of a family where the mother had recently lost a child. The woman would nurse the child and take care of it. Sometimes the family would take the child in as their own, and sometimes others weren't so caring. I know this is true with foundlings, but I am not sure about orphans (I would think it would be).

k8landers wrote:Her last name was common at that time - Di Loreto - in Capestrano. There were 2,3, or 4 births each year.

Would an aunit / cousin / other family member help? Or was placement usually outside the family?

I believe it depends on whether a relative had the means to take care of the child or not. Sometimes I'm sure it was just easier to just put the child in the care of a wetnurse. But this is just a guess. Every case is different.